Thursday, February 22, 2007

U.S. finds chemicals in raid on Fallujah car-bomb factory

Wreckage of truck used in yesterday's chlorine gas attack in Baghdad. Today's raid on five separate buildings near Fallujah found about 65 propane tanks and "all kinds of ordinary chemicals" acording to U.S. spokesman William Caldwell, who said he believed the intent was to mix the chemicals with explosives.

BAGHDAD, Iraq — U.S. troops raided a car bomb factory west of Baghdad with five buildings full of propane tanks and ordinary chemicals the military believes were to be used in bombs, a spokesman said today, a day after insurgents blew up a truck carrying chlorine gas canisters.

Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said the chlorine attack Wednesday — the second such "dirty" chemical attack in two days — signaled a change in insurgent tactics, and the military was fighting back with targeted raids.

"What we are seeing is a change in the tactics, but their strategy has not changed. And that's to create high-profile attacks to instill fear and division amongst the Iraqi people," he told CNN. "It's a real crude attempt to raise the terror level by taking and mixing ordinary chemicals with explosive devices, trying to instill that fear within the Iraqi people."